Open heart surgery in Bali

DENPASAR, Bali: The Sanglah General Hospital received Friday a Rp 4.7 billion cardiac surgical machine from the Harapan Kita Cardiac Hospital Foundation in Jakarta.

Antara reported that the sophisticated equipment was donated under a cooperation between the Denpasar hospital and Harapan Kita Foundation. It was handed over by the chief of the foundation's board of trustees chairperson Halimah B. Trihatmodjo to the Denpasar hospital director, Dr. GLM Rudiartha. Bali Deputy Governor Ahim Abdurahim witnessed the presentation.

Halimah, wife of Bambang Trihatmodjo, President Soeharto's eldest son, said only two of the 15 hospitals involved with the foundation had been found to be eligible for assistance. The two hospitals are the Sanglah and the Malalangyang general hospital in Manado, North Sulawesi.

The other 13 hospitals will hopefully receive the machines next year, she said.

The machines enable the two hospitals to perform open heart surgery.

For the past two years the 15 hospitals have followed special training to improve their capability in the treatment of patients suffering from heart disease, blood vessel disorders and pulmonary diseases. (swe)